Drawing Near to God
Drawing Near to God
By Pastor John Dawson
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. James 4:8
Last month I hiked the Maryland section (and a little more) of the Appalachian Trail. It was 60 miles in 4 days, over hill and through streams. One of the features of this trail are the lean-to shelters which are spaced along the trail. Hikers often hike by themselves, but at the end of the day, they congregate at the shelter areas and spend the evening in conversation. On finding out that I was a pastor, one gal had a few questions for me about my church. She said she went to church when she was younger but was agnostic about God at this point. I did not have much opportunity to expand on the things of Christ, but I did tell her one of the things I appreciated most about God: I am thankful for God’s presence. I am so aware of the Creator’s presence. In that setting, without electricity, modern plumbing, and minimal protection from the elements, I do feel small, and I am assured because God, who loves me, is so big. The hymn How Great Thou Art is so appropriate when I wander through the woods and forest glades, hear the birds, and look down from lofty mountain grandeur. My heart is filled with praise of God’s greatness.
There are many times in every day civilization where I feel small and powerless. There are people hurting, and I can’t stop the hurt. There are times I feel the attack of the enemy, and as Luther’s hymn says: on earth is not his equal. I certainly am not. But Satan, in all the ways he seeks to destroy, is defeated by Christ. The name of Jesus is the one little word that fells him. In Christ, there is safety. In Christ there is the promise of eternal wholeness to take away my fear. Think of the psalms of great comfort, like 91: He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” These psalms of security in the Lord are not promises that you will not encounter trial, pain, or attack. They are guarantees that these trials will not destroy you. They will not tear you away from the Lord who is the source of life and peace. In times of trial, you will find safety through the storm in the Lord.
But what if you do not feel the Lord’s presence? What if you sense absence and feel alone to face the onslaught? You know there is safety in the Lord, but you do not feel connected to him. I know, we walk by faith and not by feelings or sight, but feeling alone in a dark place is scary. What can you do? First, remember that the Lord does not move. His promised love is faithful and true. What needs to open up is your ability to know God’s presence. Is there anything you can do? Yes! Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
How do you draw near to God? Prayer comes to mind first. And what if you don’t know what to pray? Start with those very psalms of comfort and connection, like 23, 91, 121. Declare the truth of God’s presence and protection, even when you do not sense it. You draw near to God in repentance. Those things in your life that separate you from the things of God (dallying with sin) need to be identified and removed. You draw near to God with the joy of the Lord. Remember the goodness of God and rejoice in it. Even in overwhelming difficulty, there is more to see than the trial in front of you. If your focus is only on the problem, it will seem ever larger. When your focus is on the Lord who is the one who resolves the problem and protects you, the solution becomes larger. This will give joy, and the joy of the Lord is your strength (Neh. 8:10).
We naturally draw near to God when we see his loving majesty and goodness. But we need even more to draw near to God when we feel the trouble of a sinful world on our shoulders. When we draw near to God we become aware that he is drawing near to us. Learn to call on the Lord and you will develop keener spiritual eyes and ears to see that there are more with you than can ever be arrayed against you.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor John